Prison food at HMP High Down

Forget porridge – Her Majesty's Prison High Down serves up lobster and crab quenelles. Former lifer Erwin James reports on the fine-dining restaurant where prisoners become chefs. And even land jobs with Giorgio Locatelli...

By Erwin James    The Observer, Sunday 17 April 2011

Just like the restaurant, the menu throws me at first. Should I have the lobster and crab quenelles with a truffle bisque or the slow-roasted breast of lamb? Then again, the braised beef olive with parsley stuffing and mini oxtail pudding and the pan-fried salt cod with peppers and chard both sound equally mouth-watering. "I can recommend the Cotechino sausage with lentils and ham hock terrine," says my dining companion, Peter Dawson, the governor of High Down prison in Sutton, Surrey. "It's one of chef's mother's recipes."
We are sitting in The Clink restaurant, which is exactly like any other high-end restaurant, apart from its location right in the heart of High Down. Nothing like it exists in any other prison in the country, due to the perceived risks involved. The Clink operates as a mess for prison staff and a training workshop for prisoners, but around 75% of its clientele are members of the public. Many are involved in the justice system – lawyers, judges, MPs – but others come from the local community: the WI, the Mothers' Union, church groups and charities. Perhaps the most valued diners are potential employers from the catering industry who are able to meet potential employees in a professional environment. The quietly spoken, headmasterly Dawson admits he took a chance when he decided to back chef Alberto "Al" Crisci, the prison's chief catering manager, who came up with the idea for The Clink three years ago. "Under Al's leadership we already had high-quality training in the main kitchen. When he suggested this restaurant, I took a deep breath and decided that the risks were manageable."
To read full article, click here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/apr/17/prison-food-erwin-james-clink